Wish Upon a Black Star
by thir13enth
Summary: She wishes, he grants. Bai, Hei


**This probably classifies more as a ficlet, but I thought it could have its own space rather than be clumped together with the rest of my shorts.**

**It's practically AU: Pai isn't the original BK-201 but Hei is.**

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><p>The stars scattered her light blue eyes with sequins of white sprinkles as she dotted imaginary constellations with her gaze.<p>

Every star has a story to tell, she believed.

Even the ones that disappeared a while ago, and were replaced by other stars, even brighter than the moon that used to dot the evening skies.

Where did you come from, she'd ask, and the night would weave a story for her that was different every time, the soft pulses of dark and light through the small glass window lulling her to sleep.

The stars would keep her company, whenever her brother couldn't.

She never told him, but she didn't always fall asleep right away after he tucked her in.

But she thought it was okay that sometimes she didn't tell him everything, since sometimes he didn't tell her everything either. That was all because he loved her very much, and since she loved him just the same, she would keep her tongue held and her knowing eyes closed.

Like today. Today her brother pulled up her covers and smoothed the warmth down to her body, bending down to give her a kiss and breathing a 'goodnight' over her ear. He waited with a small smile perched on his lips until her eyelids fell, and then she'd feel the breeze of him stand up and close the door of her room behind him. She'd wait a little bit more and hear the quiet click of the front door of their apartment.

This happened every night—he always left so late at night.

And she was well past sleep when he came back—she never heard another click before she fell asleep.

She never questioned why her brother always left so late at night.

Or why he kept a series of knives behind black clothing in his closet.

Or why he came home with inexplicable wounds.

Or why his fingernails were stained scarlet.

She let out a suppressed gasp.

There it was: the second click of the night!

Had she stayed up so long that she made it to his return?

Her brother was so quiet. She could only hear a light tap of a boot, some ruffles of heavy clothing, a sigh exhausting from her brother's voice.

She held her breath, trying to be as silent as her brother was. But something was off, and beyond the closed door of her room, she knew her brother knew that something was awake in her room.

She was still surprised when the door of her room opened, revealing her brother, whose eyes were glazed in the midnight gleam, a salty sweat draft wind running into her room. She fully turned her head, gave him a smile, "Onii-san."

"Bai," he said, some concern in his voice, maybe a little surprise at the realization that perhaps she never did fall asleep to his goodnights.

He walked slowly into her room to reach her side, the starlight reflecting off his black bodysuit, the metal clinking as he made his way, the dark shadow of a tattered trench coat trailing behind his steps, and in the middle of his gait, she noticed a white face tucked on the inside.

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked, but his low simmering voice came out as a statement instead.

"I always make a wish, Onii-san," she explained. "I always make a wish before I sleep."

"Oh?" and he went down to his knees to reach her height, his own dark blue eyes now taking in the night sky. "You give your wish to the stars?"

"Mhm," she smiled, a crack of her lips letting her white teeth show through. "That one," and she pointed to a lonely star in the sky. His eyes followed her finger, trailing up to a rather bright one.

Familiarity rippled in his eyes. That was the star that shined when he was out working.

Bai didn't catch the knowing turn of his lips.

"Sometimes the stars around it fall, but that one is always there for me," she continued, watching her brother's reaction.

But she made sure to hold her face as well.

She couldn't tell him there was more to the sentence: "that one is always there for me…when you're gone." She didn't want him to know that she knew he was always out at night.

"You wish to that one every day?" he asked her, facing the night again.

She nodded her head.

"What do you wish for?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Oniiiii-san, I can't tell you. Otherwise the wish will never be granted!"

"Ah, that's right," he replied with a tight smile. He didn't say anything more about how he thought wishing was irrational because he didn't want to break her heart.

"But I'll tell you," she said, mischief tainting her bright eyes. "Because you're my _brother_."

She looked back at the star—the one they both recognized as their own, and took a breath.

"I wish the world to be a more peaceful place," she declared, and let her words hang on the cool air for a moment.

He gave her a grim smile. When she turned her head to face her brother, he asked, "Ready to sleep now?"

She returned a genuine grin and went into bed.

"Goodnight, Bai," he whispered, kissing her temple.

And as he bent down to tuck her into sleep, he tucked away a knife's bloody smile and wiped the scent of iron off his hands.

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><p><strong>Hmmm…review?<strong>

**thir13enth**


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